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Lyria 3 prompts that describe the sound, never the artist

Lyria 3 prompts for ad beds, music under dialogue, video scores and full songs with your own lyrics, written without artist names because Lyria blocks them.

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Every Lyria 3 prompt on this page describes a sound and names no one. Lyria rejects a prompt that contains a real artist, album or song, even written as "not like" that name, so genre, era, instruments, tempo and vocal delivery do the work a reference track would.

26 cards follow, grouped by the job the music does in a video, each tagged Clip or Pro with its credit cost. We wrote them from Google's published guidance and rendered none for this page.

How to write Lyria 3 prompts

Google Cloud's prompting guide for the Lyria 3 models, by Katie Nguyen and Hussain Chinoy (April 2026), puts six parts in a fixed order. Every card here follows it:

  1. Genre and style: "1970s soul ballad", or a blend of two genres.
  2. Mood: one or two words, such as "wistful but hopeful".
  3. Instrumentation: three to five named instruments.
  4. Tempo and rhythm: a BPM number, or "slow and swaying", "half-time feel".
  5. Vocals: voice, delivery and language, or "Instrumental" to drop them.
  6. Lyrics: after "Lyrics:" or under [Verse] and [Chorus] tags, on their own lines.

The Lyria prompt guide from Google DeepMind adds two habits: describe how the music flows from one section to the next, and put echoed backing vocals in parentheses.

Line breaks reach Lyria as typed, so tags and timestamps keep their shape. Google also rewrites every prompt before generating and never shows the rewrite.

Describe the style, never the artist

Lyria 3 rejects any prompt that names a real artist, producer, album, song or persona, and "not like" plus a name fails the same way. Google's policy also blocks requests for a specific artist's voice and for copyrighted lyrics.

Brand, place, gear and plugin names and genre slang get through, so translate "make it sound like" into what you can hear:

  • Era and place: "late-90s UK garage", "1970s West African highlife".
  • Gear: "tape-saturated drums", "a vintage analog synth bass".
  • Delivery: "breathy alto, conversational, doubled on the chorus".
  • Mix: "dry, upfront drums, wide reverb on the vocal".

Google enforces the name rule upstream, so no Playcut setting turns it off. A lyric stacked with violent imagery can trigger a softer block; remove that line.

Which Lyria 3 version to draft and finish on

Draft on Lyria 3 Clip, a fixed 30-second track for 20 credits, until the style is right. Then run the final prompt on Lyria 3 Pro, about two minutes with full song structure, for 40 credits. Both bill flat per song, so a retry costs what the first try did.

Detail Lyria 3 Clip Lyria 3 Pro (default)
Length Fixed at 30 seconds About two minutes, with verses, choruses and an ending
Credits per song 20, flat 40, flat
Length control None; length hints in the prompt are ignored A chip (Auto, 1m, 2m, 3m) that adds "Create a N-minute song." to your prompt

Both return MP3 at 44.1 kHz stereo with a SynthID watermark. Up to 10 attached images set the mood, but the prompt can't point at one, and with no seed every run is a new song. The Lyria 3 Clip and Pro credits and limits page has the full breakdown.

Beds for a 30-second ad

Run on Lyria 3

A Clip is exactly 30 seconds, the length of the spot. Each bed is instrumental, names a BPM and spells out the energy arc, so the lift lands where the offer does.

  1. Skincare launch

    Clip · 30 s · 20 cr
    Modern minimal pop, fresh and confident. Plucked synth, soft sub bass, finger snaps, 104 BPM. The pluck starts alone, the beat joins after a few bars, a wide pad lifts the final third, ending on one clean chord. Instrumental.
  2. Coffee brand morning

    Clip · 30 s · 20 cr
    Acoustic folk-pop, warm and easygoing. Strummed nylon-string guitar, upright bass, shaker and hand claps, 92 BPM with a gentle swing. Guitar alone at first, bass and claps join halfway, finishing on a held major chord. Instrumental.
  3. Sneaker drop

    Clip · 30 s · 20 cr
    Hard-hitting trap, bold and swaggering. Punchy 808s, fast hi-hat rolls, a detuned synth lead, brass stabs, 140 BPM, half-time feel. A short riser into a heavy drop within five seconds, a steady groove, then a hard stop on the final beat. Instrumental.
  4. Finance app, calm and trusted

    Clip · 30 s · 20 cr
    Clean corporate electronic, calm and reassuring. Soft marimba pattern, warm pad, gentle kick, off-beat shaker, 110 BPM. Light and airy at first, building slowly as a rising bass line enters, resolving on a bright sustained chord. Instrumental.
  5. Food delivery, playful

    Clip · 30 s · 20 cr
    Upbeat funk, cheeky and playful. Slap bass, clavinet riff, tight drums, short horn hits, 112 BPM. Opens on a horn hit, bounces through the middle, adds a horn line near the end and finishes on one staccato stab. Instrumental.
  6. Fitness app, driving build

    Clip · 30 s · 20 cr
    Driving electronic dance, determined and energetic. Four-on-the-floor kick, pulsing sawtooth bass, arpeggiated synth, claps, 128 BPM. Filtered and quiet at first, then the full beat opens up, a snare roll climbs, and it lands on one impact hit. Instrumental only, no vocals.

Music that sits under dialogue

Run on Lyria 3

Music under a voice stays out of its way: few instruments, a low and simple melody, an even level, no singing. Use Clip for a 30-second spot and Pro for longer cuts.

Time the voiceover the music sits under

  1. Product explainer with a narrator

    Pro · ~2 min · 40 cr
    Light ambient electronic, curious and even, under a narrator explaining a product. Soft pulsing synth, sparse glassy bells, a low pad, 90 BPM, a faint tick for rhythm. Middle frequencies left open for the voice, a low simple melody, a steady level. Instrumental only, no vocals.
  2. Customer testimonial

    Clip · 30 s · 20 cr
    Gentle acoustic, sincere and hopeful, under a customer talking to camera. Fingerpicked steel-string guitar, a few soft felt piano notes, a very quiet cello, 76 BPM. Sparse, steady and low in the mix from start to finish. Instrumental only, no vocals.
  3. Screen-recorded tutorial

    Pro · ~2 min · 40 cr
    Relaxed downtempo groove, friendly and focused, for a tutorial with voiceover. Muted electric guitar, round bass, a soft brushed kit, 84 BPM. One even groove that never builds or drops, every instrument soft and kept below the voice. Instrumental only, no vocals.
  4. Founder telling the story

    Pro · ~2 min · 40 cr
    Understated cinematic, reflective and warm, under a founder telling the company's story. Slow piano chords, a soft string pad, a distant synth pulse, 70 BPM. Quiet and level under the speech, with one gentle swell near the end. Instrumental only, no vocals.
  5. Apartment walkthrough

    Clip · 30 s · 20 cr
    Smooth jazz-house, polished and inviting, under an apartment walkthrough. Electric piano chords, a soft four-on-the-floor kick, brushed hi-hats, 118 BPM. Background level throughout, with the same gentle groove from the first bar to the last. Instrumental only, no vocals.

Scores with timed sections

Run on Lyria 3

Each timestamp block sits on its own line so the music can change on a cut. These need Pro, since Clip stops at 30 seconds. Set the length chip at or just above your cut, and check the timing in your editor.

  1. 60-second brand film

    Pro · ~2 min · 40 cr
    Cinematic orchestral score for a 60-second brand film, hopeful and rising. Strings, felt piano, French horn, soft timpani, 72 BPM. Instrumental. [0:00 - 0:15] Intro: solo felt piano, spacious. [0:15 - 0:40] Build: low strings and a timpani pulse. [0:40 - 1:00] Peak: full strings and horn, then piano alone to close.
  2. Product demo in three beats

    Pro · ~2 min · 40 cr
    Modern electronic score for a product demo, sleek and precise. Synth plucks, deep sub bass, crisp electronic drums, 120 BPM. Instrumental. [0:00 - 0:10] Intro: ticking hi-hat, one pluck. [0:10 - 0:30] Feature one: full beat, bouncy bass. [0:30 - 0:50] Feature two: brighter lead melody. [0:50 - 1:00] Outro: beat drops away, one sustained chord.
  3. 90-second travel montage

    Pro · ~2 min · 40 cr
    Uplifting world fusion for a 90-second travel montage, adventurous and sunny. Hand percussion, nylon-string guitar, bright flute, deep frame drum, 100 BPM. Instrumental. [0:00 - 0:20] Dawn: flute and guitar only, gentle. [0:20 - 1:00] Journey: hand percussion drives, faster strumming. [1:00 - 1:30] Arrival: frame drum hits, full ensemble, a ringing final chord.
  4. Tension, then the reveal

    Pro · ~2 min · 40 cr
    Dark cinematic trailer score, tense then triumphant. Low string ostinato, taiko drums, brass, a ticking clock, 85 BPM. Instrumental. [0:00 - 0:20] Tension: low strings and ticking, very quiet. [0:20 - 0:45] Rise: taiko hits closer together, brass swells. [0:45 - 0:50] Pause: one low held note. [0:50 - 1:10] Reveal: full brass theme, major key.

Full songs with your own lyrics

Run on Lyria 3

Style first, lyrics last, each section tag on its own line. Every lyric here is original; Google blocks copyrighted lyrics, so write your own or adapt these.

  1. Indie folk with tagged sections

    Pro · ~2 min · 40 cr
    Warm indie folk, wistful but hopeful. Fingerpicked acoustic guitar, upright bass, brushed drums, 88 BPM. Soft close-mic male vocal in English. [Verse] Paint is peeling on the gate Buses running twenty late [Chorus] Still I'm walking home to you Every street I know leads through [Bridge] Easy now, the lights are on
  2. Pop anthem with echoed backing vocals

    Pro · ~2 min · 40 cr
    Big, bright pop anthem, euphoric. Stomping kick, handclaps, glossy synths, 122 BPM. Confident female lead in English; backing singers echo the words in parentheses. Lyrics: We light the whole block up (whole block up) Turn the quiet into sound (into sound) Hands high, we're not coming down (coming down)
  3. 1970s soul ballad

    Pro · ~2 min · 40 cr
    Slow 1970s soul ballad, tender and aching. Electric piano, warm bass, soft horns, 66 BPM. Raspy male tenor in English, falsetto on the chorus. [Verse] Coffee's cold, the radio hums Sunday waits and no one comes [Chorus] Leave a light in the kitchen for me I'm three streets from where I should be
  4. Country story song

    Pro · ~2 min · 40 cr
    Acoustic country story song, heartfelt. Steel-string guitar, pedal steel, fiddle, light shuffle drums, 96 BPM. Warm female lead in English, gentle twang. [Verse] Dad's old truck still smells of pine Keys hung up by the feed store sign [Chorus] Gravel roads and one-lane towns That's the ground I'm putting roots down
  5. Boom-bap verse and hook

    Pro · ~2 min · 40 cr
    Head-nodding 1990s boom-bap, confident and warm. Punchy sampled drum break, upright bass loop, piano stabs, 90 BPM. Smooth male rapper in English, relaxed flow. [Verse] Up at six, the city's still yawning Notebook full of plans since the morning [Chorus] Brick on brick, we raise it slow Every floor a place to grow
  6. Brand anthem for a launch film

    Pro · ~2 min · 40 cr
    Uplifting pop-rock anthem for a launch film, proud and warm. Chiming electric guitars, driving bass, big live drums, 116 BPM. Bright female lead in English, a layered choir on the chorus. [Verse] Started in a garage with a borrowed light [Chorus] Kettle and Kite, we make the mornings bright Kettle and Kite, we built this day and night

    Swap in your own brand name. Brand names get through Lyria's filter; artist names don't.

Loops, stingers and intros for social

Run on Lyria 3

Clip always returns 30 seconds, even for a three-second sting, so the hook comes first and the rest stays easy to cut. For a loop, ask for an ending that leads back to the start.

  1. Seamless loop for a Reel

    Clip · 30 s · 20 cr
    Chill electronic groove built to loop, laid-back and sunny. Warm synth chords, rubbery bass, soft kick, rim clicks, 100 BPM. The full groove plays from the first beat, holds steady, and ends on a bar that leads straight back into the start. Instrumental.
  2. Sonic logo sting

    Clip · 30 s · 20 cr
    Short sonic logo, bold and modern. A bright synth arpeggio rises into one big hit with a deep boom and a shimmering tail, all inside the first four seconds, then a soft pad fades for the rest of the clip. Instrumental only, no vocals.
  3. Weekly show intro

    Clip · 30 s · 20 cr
    Energetic indie rock intro for a weekly video show, fun and upbeat. Crunchy guitar riff, driving bass, punchy live drums, 150 BPM. The full band hits on the first beat, the riff plays twice, and a big drum fill lands at about ten seconds. Instrumental.
  4. Drop for a before-and-after reveal

    Clip · 30 s · 20 cr
    Hype electronic build and drop, playful and loud. A snare roll and rising synth for six seconds, then a heavy bass drop with a wobbling synth and big claps, 146 BPM, half-time feel, holding the groove to the end. Instrumental.
  5. Cosy vlog opener

    Clip · 30 s · 20 cr
    Bright ukulele pop, cheerful and cosy, for a morning vlog opener. Strummed ukulele, glockenspiel, finger snaps, soft kick, 108 BPM. A bouncy glockenspiel hook in the first two seconds, then a gentle strum you can cut at any bar. Instrumental only, no vocals.

Making a Lyria 3 track in the music studio

Once a card is in the music studio prompt box:

  1. Pick Clip or Pro on the toggle beside the app selector. Pro is selected by default at 40 credits; Clip is 20.
  2. Set the length on Pro with the chip, or leave it on Auto.
  3. Attach up to 10 frames from your cut if the pictures should steer the mood.
  4. Generate. Credits are held at submit and refunded if the job fails or is cancelled.

Lyria is single-turn, so every revision is a new song and a new charge. Over MCP and the REST API, the generate-music tool runs both models and bills Pro when none is named.

Make the picture in the Playcut AI video generator, and check Playcut plans and monthly credits for your allowance. For image and video prompts that miss, use the guide to fixing a prompt symptom by symptom.

FAQ

Can I name an artist in a Lyria 3 prompt?

No. Lyria 3 blocks any prompt that names a real artist, producer, album, song or persona, even inside "not like" or "never". Describe the sound instead: era, region, instruments, vocal delivery and mix. Brand, place and gear names are fine.

How do I add my own lyrics to a Lyria 3 song?

Write the musical direction first, then "Lyrics:" or section tags such as [Verse] and [Chorus] on their own lines, with your lines under them. Playcut keeps the line breaks. Put echoed backing vocals in parentheses, and use your own words: Google blocks copyrighted lyrics.

How do I set the tempo and length?

Give a number, such as 92 BPM, or a feel: slow and swaying, half-time, driving. Clip is always 30 seconds. On Pro, pick a length chip or write "a 2-minute song"; a three-minute ask can still come back at about two.

Should I draft on Lyria 3 Clip or Pro?

Draft on Clip at 20 credits a song until the genre, instruments and tempo sound right, then run the same prompt on Pro at 40 credits for the full-length version. Pro is the studio default, so switch to Clip before drafting.

Why does the same Lyria 3 prompt give a different song each time?

Lyria 3 has no seed, and Google rewrites each prompt internally before generating without showing the rewrite, so no two runs match. Keep the prompt that came closest and tighten the part that drifted, such as tempo or instruments.